Time to tinker with term limits in Fla?

State Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, and state Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton have filed legislation to revamp Florida's current term limit structure, giving legislators up to 12 years in office rather than just eight. House Joint Resolution 207 would appear as a constitutional amendment on the 2012 ballot. It would lengthen the terms of state senators from the current four-year terms to six-year terms, and it would extend terms of state representatives from the current two-year terms to four-year terms.

“To change the culture in Tallahassee, a place where lobbyists have increasingly gained more power and knowledge than legislators, and where fundraisers are as frequent as committee meetings, we must revisit the issue of term limits,” said Kriseman. “Less campaigning allows for lawmakers to focus solely on policies which move Florida forward, and to address issues in the long-term, while still honoring the wishes of the voters who sought to place sensible limits on our length of time in office.”

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